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There’s a tweet by John Moynes that’s been going around X.com for some time now that I can easily relate to. It goes like this: ‘Rage Against the Machine never specified what type of machine they were furious with, but I reckon it was probably a printer.’

Printing anything out at home remains one of the most frustrating experiences in modern life. Assuming you can actually get your PC to connect to your printer, who knows what you’re going to get out the other end because it rarely resembles the document you’re seeing on screen.

Spreadsheets mysteriously split themselves over several pages, and anything printed from a web page comes with an obligatory page or two of extra blank space at the end, maybe with a line or two random text at the bottom. Why printer companies haven’t managed to fix this yet is beyond me.

AI to the rescue

Well, perhaps it’s beyond human beings because HP has called Artificial Intelligence to fix it. Announced at its recent Imagine AI event, HP Print AI is here to fix the common problems associated with printing documents.

Its stand-out feature, Perfect Output, which is available now as a beta to select users, is designed to make what you see on screen the same as what your printer actually prints out. The first problem it’s designed to solve is to make printing from the web work, at long last.

HP estimates that half of all print jobs at home are from web pages, so it’s crazy to think it’s taken this long to sort it out. Perfect Output intelligently reformats and reorganizes the content of a web page to fit on the printed page. It also detects unwanted content like ads or web text and removes it.

More than that, it actually makes the pages look like they’ve been designed beautifully. Have a look at the before and after screenshots:

Here's what a web page looks like when you try to print it... (Image credit: HP)

... and here's how it looks after Perfect Output has reformatted it. (Image credit: HP)

Perfect Output also tackles the thorny issue of printing spreadsheets. These have traditionally been difficult to print out because they tend to be formatted in landscape. Perfect Output does the hard work of making them fit on a page for you, even integrating charts intelligently into the printouts.

HP is also using AI to help you set up your printer, but frankly, we just want better-looking printouts that don’t waste reams of paper when all we wanted was a recipe for spaghetti bolognese. If AI can do that, it’s winning.

While Perfect Output is available to select customers right now as a beta, HP says it will launch HP Print AI capabilities through 2025.

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Infostealer attacks are becoming an increasingly serious threat. Over the past few years, infostealer malware has increasingly become the weapon of choice for cybercriminals as a low-hanging fruit tactic to carry out high-impact data breaches due to their simplicity, vast availability, and low cost.

The Trustwave SpiderLabs Threat Intelligence team recently discovered a new version of the SYS01 infostealer during our ongoing research of malicious activity on Facebook. With over 2.9 billion monthly active users and 200 million business accounts on Facebook, this infostealer poses a significant risk.

In this campaign, hackers use malicious advertisements to steal account credentials to take over Facebook business and personal pages, as well as gain access to users' credentials, history, and cookies in web browsers. The captured information can include saved credit card info, passwords for accounts to other sites, and more. This can then lead to further rippling effects, including disruption of business operations and financial loss.

Expanded Facebook User Targeting

SYS01 represents a new wave of infostealer malware with more sophisticated capabilities and evasion techniques, making it a formidable threat.

Since its emergence in March 2023, SYS01 has dramatically evolved. Initially distributed through Facebook advertisements related to adult content and gaming, this new version which has been operating since September 2023, now includes ads for AI-tools and Windows themes. This evolution advances SYS01’s appearance of legitimacy and extends its reach to target the general population, making it more challenging for users to identify and avoid malicious ads.

As this malware continues to evolve and target a larger pool of potential victims, organizations should implement filtering systems to analyze ad content for signs of malware or malicious intent to help mitigate risks. It's also crucial for employees to improve their own ability to recognize spoofed ads and maintain good cybersecurity hygiene by staying informed about the latest trends and tools used by cybercriminals.

The Adaptive Nature of SYS01

SYS01 can manipulate antivirus software configurations to avoid detection and maintain presence on infected systems for extended periods. This makes it much more challenging for traditional security solutions to detect the malware. With the ability to identify virtualized environments used by security researchers for malware analysis, SYS01 can further alter its behavior or halt execution to prevent discovery by security tools.

Not only can SYS01 manipulate security tools to evade detection, but its adaptability also allows it to continue to morph and adjust to increase effectiveness with each malicious ad campaign. Leveraging calculated A/B testing, SYS01 adapts and refines its ads to maximize engagement and click-through rates and repeats use of the more successful advertisements.

Given the adaptive nature of SYS01, organizations should ensure they have host-based anti-malware tools to help detect and protect against malicious exploits. Security and IT teams can go a step further by keeping browsers and plugins up-to-date and configuring browsers and tasks to regularly delete persistent cookies to reduce the risk of session cookie theft of sensitive information. When prevention isn’t possible, audit controls can also help detect potential compromises.

One Infostealer After Another

As cybercriminals continue to innovate with their use of infostealers, maintaining vigilance and implementing robust security measures is critical.

SYS01 is just one of many infostealer threats. Many of its tactics exhibit striking similarities to other infostealers, such as Rilide. Disguising itself as a legitimate Google Drive extension, Rilide targets Chromium-based browsers – such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Brave, and Opera – leveraging Google Ads to carry out attacks that monitor browsing history and capture screenshots before injecting malicious scripts to withdraw funds from cryptocurrency exchanges.

To protect against such threats, security leaders should enforce the use of multi-factor authentication (MFA) across their organizations. This adds an extra layer of defense, making unauthorized access more difficult if and when users inadvertently click on malicious ads. Proactive monitoring with tools like endpoint detection and response, alongside MFA, enhances security by detecting anomalies and aggregating data across an organization’s IT infrastructure.

A Call for Proactive Defense

SYS01’s evolution and sophisticated capabilities underscore the growing threat posed by infostealers, particularly in its demonstrated ability to evade detection and continuously evolve. This flexibility highlights the need for cybersecurity professionals to stay ahead of the curve to effectively anticipate and mitigate future threats. By investing in robust defenses, monitoring solutions, and proactive threat hunting, organizations can better safeguard against the rising risks of infostealers and protect their digital assets from potential harm.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

They say the only constant in life is change. In the technology industry, that’s only partially true. By building and nurturing a series of constants, businesses can set themselves up to flourish for the long haul, no matter which technology revolution we may face next.

Organizations that implement fundamental engineering, architectural, and operational practices can undoubtedly weather times of change, having built the extensible IT infrastructure and processes to help them chart a necessary path forward. But what does it take to truly thrive in periods of uncertainty? The core attributes of organizations I’ve seen most successful with sustaining engineering excellence not only balance but artfully blend a sense of high ambition and resilience, a culture of continuous learning, and authentic approaches to leadership.

Cultivate High Ambition and Resilience Through Data

First, successful engineering organizations measure the right things and turn data into actionable insights and targeted learning paths focused on skill-building, growth, and professional development. For example, if teams are slow to detect an incident with their application, it may be due to improper monitoring and alerting. If cycle times are missing the mark, it might be that the engineer could improve test automation skills. If cloud storage or cloud costs are unnecessarily high, perhaps the infrastructure was poorly designed or overly complex. 

In all of these cases, metrics and a test-and-learn approach should be embedded into the natural rhythms of the organization such that data informs whether teams persist on the current path or pivot to different approaches. This continuous retrospection and feedback loop can help leaders to make impactful decisions, take action, and best support and coach their teams in the pursuit of excellence.

These data-driven insights are also key to identifying areas where engineers spend time on manual or rote tasks, much of which could be allayed with automation. Automation can be an incredibly powerful tool to help shift engineers’ capacity away from these tasks to focus on more creative problem-solving and career-defining work. Machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) has added rocket fuel to this effort, enabling the automation of complex and time-consuming workflows and activities. With the bandwidth unlocked by automation, engineers can turn their sights to constant experimentation and innovation (which is an exciting prospect when you’re working to solve challenging problems in financial services, for example).

Key performance indicators and data should permeate beyond product performance, too. Implementing these metrics into an organizations’ performance and talent management routines can also help reinforce the health of the organization, which is particularly important as leaders continue to raise the talent bar. In my experience, it’s these engineering best practices - measuring what matters, striving for excellence in those metrics, and supporting engineers in hitting ambitious targets - that are not only the framework for pursuing bold innovations but they’re also the key to attracting and retaining teams of world-class talent.

Fostering a Growth Mindset and Culture of Continuous Learning

Put simply, great engineers want to work with other great engineers. They expect engineering excellence from the organizations they join (and stay in) because this high talent bar is the foundation for continuously shipping products with meaningful outcomes for the business and customers. For leaders of these high-performing organizations, the pursuit of top talent is “always on.”

All engineering leaders, regardless of level of expertise or career stage, must understand that their job also includes the continued pursuit of new personal skills and knowledge. Here, leaders must allocate time and capacity for all team members to seek tailored training, certifications, and mentoring to stay at the forefront of technology and AI skills. Establishing rituals like "Invest in Yourself Days,” where associates can take advantage of learning and professional development opportunities on meeting-light days, and creating access to user-friendly learning hubs with focused learning tracks are helpful tactics to foster a growth mindset within any organization.

Leading with Authenticity and Truth-Seeking

Finally, in addition to leveraging data to inform operations and creating skill-building rituals and platforms for learning, leaders should invest in building their teams’ confidence and sense of psychological safety by demonstrating healthy behaviors from the top. This means nurturing an engineering culture that embraces change as an opportunity, where teammates are comfortable seeking help in areas of weakness, and where they can embrace failures or mistakes as learning opportunities. 

It’s important to not only reinforce wins, but also to honor and elevate uncovered truths that help organizations or enterprises in scalable ways and for the long haul. By having difficult and honest conversations about gaps or failures in our systems and processes, we can promote a culture of individual success and a team mentality in which the focus is on solving tough problems for the greater good.

For me, the key to sustaining engineering excellence in a world of constant change is this three-pronged approach to leadership: using data to influence organizational rhythms and routines (the spine), elevating a passion for continuous learning and growth (the brain), and reinforcing authenticity and truth-seeking in work and interactions (the heart). When leaders possess all three - the spine, the brain, and the heart - they are well-poised to scale and lead great organizations in the long haul.

We can survive change or thrive in it. We can achieve one-time engineering excellence or continue raising the bar. By instilling a culture of data-driven innovation, a growth mindset and championing heart-centered leadership, technology executives can equip their teams to turn the complexity of change into a wellspring of competitive advantage.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

Acer has released a new AI-driven laptop designed with business professionals purely in mind.

The Acer TravelMate P6 14 AI comes with a choice of Intel Core Ultra 7 or Ultra 5 processors and it supports a suite of powerful AI tools to help businesses improve productivity and collaboration - including Copilot+ PC AI experiences available through free updates later in 2024.

The laptop’s AI-powered include boosted video conferencing with Acer PurifiedView 2.0, which can refine your appearance through AI-enhanced lighting, resolution, and color contrast adjustments, along with AI noise reduction to improve audio quality by suppressing background noise and enhancing the speaker’s voice during meetings.

A new AI-centric laptop

The TravelMate P6 14 AI offers two 14-inch display options to suit different user preferences. The first option is a WQXGA+ (2880x1800) panel with IPS technology, delivering high-resolution visuals with good color accuracy thanks to 100% sRGB color gamut coverage. The second option is a WUXGA (1920x1200) display, also featuring IPS technology and offering 400 nits of brightness for clear and vibrant images. Both displays feature a 16:10 aspect ratio, which maximizes screen real estate for more immersive viewing, and thin bezels that contribute to an 82% screen-to-body ratio.

In addition to the processor, this device offers up to 32 GB of dual-channel LPDDR5X SDRAM and storage options of up to 1 TB M.2 SSD Gen4x1, making it suitable for multitasking and handling large files.

Other key AI tools in this device include Acer Assist, a virtual assistant that leverages large language models to help with technical queries, document summarization, and troubleshooting. Acer LiveArt 2.0 allows users to easily remove photo backgrounds and generate depth maps from 2D images.

There is an AI logo on the touchpad that illuminates to indicate when the NPU is in use, making AI processing transparent to users and this laptop also supports an Experience Zone within the TravelMate Sense app where users can access these AI features.

The TravelMate P6 14 AI is equipped with the latest wireless technologies, including Wi-Fi 7, which offers speeds of up to 5.8 Gbps, and Bluetooth 5.4. It also includes two Type-C USB4 Gen2 (TBT4) ports with Thunderbolt 4, two Type-A 3.2 Gen1 ports, HDMI 2.1, and an audio jack.

This new laptop features a QHD IR camera for quick, secure facial recognition login and a privacy shutter to prevent unauthorized access. Acer User Sensing Technology adds an extra layer of security by using an AI-powered vision sensor to lock the screen when the user steps away and quickly wake the device when they return.

Acer ProShield Plus offers a suite of security and management features within a single platform, ensuring data is protected and the device is secure. The laptop is also MIL-STD 810H military-grade certified, which means it can withstand the rigors of life on the road. Furthermore, Acer Dust Defender helps minimize dust buildup that can affect performance, ensuring long-lasting durability.

The Acer TravelMate P6 14 AI comes with a 65Wh 4-cell Li-ion battery with fast charging capabilities and the company claims this battery can deliver up to 14 hours of battery life. Weighing only 0.99 kg and measuring 15.90 mm in height, this laptop is designed for mobility without compromising on performance or features.

The Acer TravelMate P6 14 AI will be available in North America and EMEA starting in January 2025. Prices will begin at $1,499.99 in North America and €1,349 in EMEA.

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The base model of the Amazon Kindle (2022) has been out of stock on the online retail giant's shopping sites in various territories for a while now and there's probably a good explanation why. It seems as though Amazon is ready to release a new Kindle ereader soon.

A Spanish retailer accidentally listed a new 2024 edition of the entry-level Kindle on its site (as spotted by Good e-Reader), with a release date listed for September 30. While the listing has since been taken down, it was up long enough for some of the upgrades to be revealed.

If this listing is true, the upcoming 2024 Kindle – which will be the 12th generation – will have a more eco-friendly build than any of the Kindles before it. The ereader is rumored to be made with 75% recycled plastic and 90% recycled magnesium. Amazon is also apparently changing its packaging for the new ereader, making it 98% wood fiber sourced from either recycled materials or responsibly managed forests.

And, if the leaked image is anything to go by, it's also going to come in a lovely match green colorway.

The leaked match green colorway of the 2024 Kindle (Image credit: MediaMarkt)

The listing has also revealed quite a bit about the device's specs, starting with a 300ppi screen – which is standard for grayscale ereaders today – with 25% more brightness than the current 11th-generation model.

Like the 2022 Kindle, the 12th-gen ereader will support dark mode and, according to the leak, will also offer faster page turns, but it's unclear whether the latter will be due to a better processor or if Amazon has adopted the latest E Ink Carta 1300 screen technology. This new display debuted in the 2024 Kobo Clara BW, making it one of the best ereaders in terms of legibility and performance.

It will also come with 16GB of onboard storage, will offer a battery life of up to 8 weeks, which is better than the approximate 4 weeks per charge we got in our Amazon Kindle (2022) review. According to the dimensions leaked, it's going to be the exact same size and thickness as the current model at 157.8 x 108.6 x 8 mm.

Amazon Kindle 2024: what I'd really like to see

The one major upgrade I would love to see on the new 2024 Kindle is the use of the E Ink Carta 1300 display. This screen tech increases page responsiveness by 25% and adds more contrast – I was so impressed with it on the Kobo Clara BW that I didn't care the Kindle competitor didn't get better battery life over its Clara 2E predecessor.

Better yet, I would love to see Amazon take the competition to Kobo and release a color ereader to rival the Kobo Clara Colour. Kobo now has two color ereaders compared to none from Amazon.

Adjustable warm light will also be a fantastic addition to the newest edition of the Kindle. Kobo's base Clara BW offers it already, but then it also costs more than the entry-level Kindle.

I would also like to see the base Kindle get waterproofing – the current model misses out the IPX8 rating the Kindle Paperwhite (2021) has, which also puts it behind all the current Kobo ereaders.

And lastly, I really would like to be able to sideload EPUB format ebooks without having to use the Send To Kindle app.

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Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need clues.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Wordle hints and answers, Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #477) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• DOROTHY
• ROAM
• ROSE
• STEAM
• VANILLA
• SOPHIA
• SHAGGY
• BLANCH
• CHARLIE
• BOIL
• КЕТО
• MUSK
• AMBERGRIS
• WALLACE
• SOUL
• POACH

NYT Connections today (game #477) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• Yellow: Stove-top cooking
• Green: Smells good
• Blue: Pet parents
• Purple: Sounds like somewhere

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #477) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: COOK WITH HEAT AND WATER
• GREEN: COMMON PERFUME INGREDIENTS
• BLUE: CHARACTERS WITH PET DOGS
• PURPLE: CAPITAL CITY HOMOPHONES

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #477) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #477, are…

• YELLOW: COOK WITH HEAT AND WATER BLANCH, BOIL, POACH, STEAM
• GREEN: COMMON PERFUME INGREDIENTS AMBERGRIS, MUSK, ROSE, VANILLA
• BLUE: CHARACTERS WITH PET DOGS CHARLIE, DOROTHY, SHAGGY, WALLACE
• PURPLE: CAPITAL CITY HOMOPHONES KETO, ROAM, SOPHIA, SOUL

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Fail

This is my first Connections fail in a month, but I'm not devastated – because this is a tough one. That said, I'm annoyed that I didn't solve blue or purple, because once I saw the answers I realized that I knew them both and could have got them; I'm less bothered when the answer is revealed and I think 'Well, fine, I had no idea about that!'

This wasn't the case here: I've heard of all four CAPITAL CITY HOMOPHONES – KETO (Quito), ROAM (Rome), SOPHIA (Sofia), SOUL (Seoul) and have watched all four shows/movies for the CHARACTERS WITH PET DOGS group – CHARLIE (Brown, Snoopy), DOROTHY (Wizard of Oz, Toto), SHAGGY (Scooby Doo), WALLACE (and Gromit). Clever stuff by the NYT, but a little too clever for me today.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, 29 September, game #476)

• YELLOW: MAKE GOOD ON, AS A PROMISE FULFILL, HONOR, KEEP, UPHOLD
• GREEN: BEDDING BLANKET, SHAM, SHEET, THROW
• BLUE: ACTIONS IN CARD GAMES DISCARD, DRAW, PASS, PLAY
• PURPLE: CABINET DEPARTMENTS ENERGY, JUSTICE, LABOR, STATE

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #211) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Words with weight

NYT Strands today (game #211) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• METER
• CUTER
• SLATE
• STALE
• FLEA
• EXIT

NYT Strands today (game #211) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Pugilism

NYT Strands today (game #211) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First: right, 4th row

Last: left, 3rd row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #211) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #211, are…

• HEAVY
• MIDDLE
• FEATHER
• LIGHT
• WELTER
• BANTAM
• CRUISER
• SPANGRAM: BOXING

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: Perfect

I've marked this one as moderate rather than easy, despite the fact that I solved it with no issues, because if you don't watch or know about BOXING you'll probably have found this a lot harder than I did. I'm not a massive fan these days, but I used to watch it a lot in my youth, back when the likes of Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield dominated the HEAVYweight division.

HEAVY is one of the easier words here; you might well have struggled far more with something like BANTAM, CRUISER or worst of all WELTER. So I suspect today's game will see plenty of easy solves like mine, and plenty where people either needed lots of hints or failed outright.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday 29 September, game #210)

• SQUASH
• PUMPKIN
• ONION
• APPLE
• RADISH
• KOHLRABI
• SPANGRAM: FALLHARVEST

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now nearly 1,000 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #980) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #980) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 0.

Quordle today (game #980) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #980) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #980) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• C

• T

• T

• S

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #980) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #980, are…

• CRUSH
• TARDY
• TEACH
• STUMP

Today's Quordle was a very easy one for me, and probably for you too. My three set start words, STARE, DOILY and PUNCH, gave me all five letters for three of the quadrants and four for the other one, so my task was simply a matter of solving three anagrams and then adding one more letter to the bottom right. The Daily Sequence was just as straightforward; a stark contrast to yesterday's game.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Daily Sequence today (game #980) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #980, are…

• SNAKE
• BULKY
• BUDDY
• CHART

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #979, Sunday 29 September: SERIF, BORNE, WRITE, SLEEK
• Quordle #978, Saturday 28 September: BUSHY, CIVIC, SNOUT, EQUIP
• Quordle #977, Friday 27 September: GUEST, CHASM, ROOST, BASAL
• Quordle #976, Thursday 26 September: STAGE, VOGUE, CLUMP, HEATH
• Quordle #975, Wednesday 25 September: UMBRA, DADDY, GLAZE, PRANK
• Quordle #974, Tuesday 24 September: SPACE, INNER, SPAWN, BEGAT
• Quordle #973, Monday 23 September: GUILT, STERN, ANNEX, FIELD
• Quordle #972, Sunday 22 September: ZESTY, MEATY, ALIVE, DRAWN
• Quordle #971, Saturday 21 September: VITAL, FRAIL, SPEAR, EERIE
• Quordle #970, Friday 20 September: ELIDE, DITTO, SHAWL, BONUS
• Quordle #969, Thursday 19 September: MARRY, OWING, DICEY, LUCKY
• Quordle #968, Wednesday 18 September: CEDAR, VENOM, MIGHT, MEDIC
• Quordle #967, Tuesday 17 September: ETHOS, COUNT, PRINT, THREE
• Quordle #966, Monday 16 September: ROUGE, SWAMP, FUGUE, UNDUE
• Quordle #965, Sunday 15 September: VILLA, SMOKE, BULKY, THRUM
• Quordle #964, Saturday 14 September: ESSAY, GENRE, WIMPY, CHUTE
• Quordle #963, Friday 13 September: LEANT, ORGAN, FILLY, PLAIT
• Quordle #962, Thursday 12 September: ARBOR, STARK, LEAVE, GOOFY
• Quordle #961, Wednesday 11 September: ROUGH, CACTI, SAVOY, ODDER
• Quordle #960, Tuesday 10 September: PLUMB, SEIZE, EARLY, ASSET

US trade restrictions have created significant obstacles for Chinese companies, limiting their access to advanced AI hardware needed to remain competitive globally.

Nvidia’s H20 GPUs, scaled-down versions of the powerful H100, were developed to meet export control requirements but still come with a hefty price tag of around $10,000 per unit.

Even at that price, the availability of these GPUs is limited, compounding the difficulties Chinese companies face. This shortage has fueled a thriving black market for Nvidia’s high-end chips, such as the H100 and A100, where prices continue to rise due to overwhelming demand. However, global companies, particularly ByteDance - the parent company of TikTok, already under intense scrutiny in the US - cannot afford the legal and reputational risks associated with engaging in such illicit markets.

Two AI chips

ByteDance has made significant investments in AI, reportedly spending over $2 billion on Nvidia's H20 GPUs in 2024, and now according to The Information, the company is looking to develop its own AI GPUs to reduce dependency on Nvidia.

The report adds these chips will include one designed for AI training and another for AI inference, and both will be produced using TSMC’s advanced N4/N5 process, the same technology used for Nvidia’s Blackwell GPUs.

Broadcom, recognized for its AI chip designs for Google, will reportedly lead the development of these GPUs, which are expected to enter mass production by 2026. While several Chinese companies have developed their own AI GPUs to reduce reliance on Nvidia, most still depend on Nvidia’s hardware for more demanding tasks. Whether ByteDance can fully transition to its own hardware - and whether it would want to - remains to be seen.

The move will certainly not be without challenges. As Tom's Hardware notes, “The company now relies on Nvidia's CUDA and supporting software stack for AI training and inference. Once it goes with its AI GPUs, it must develop its software platform and ensure its software stack is fully compatible with its hardware."

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TerraMaster has launched its latest storage solution, the F8 SSD NAS, as part of its 2024 fall product lineup. This NAS device provides up to 64TB of storage across 8 NVMe M.2 SSD bays, making it ideal for data-intensive tasks such as 4K video editing, large-scale backups, and business operations requiring fast access to large datasets.

There are two versions available: the F8 SSD, with a regular price of $599.99, and the F8 SSD Plus, priced at $799.99. However, as part of a limited-time promotion, they are currently being offered at discounted prices of $499.99 and $699.99, respectively. Both models run on TOS 6, TerraMaster’s operating system, designed to optimize performance and offer efficient data management.

The F8 SSD is powered by an Intel N95 processor with 4 cores, while the F8 SSD Plus is equipped with an Intel Core i3-N305 processor with 8 cores, providing enhanced performance for more demanding workloads. Both models include 8GB of DDR5 memory, which can be expanded up to 32GB.

10GbE LAN port

With eight drive slots for 2280 NVMe M.2 SSDs, the F8 SSD and F8 SSD Plus both support up to 64TB (8x8TB) of raw storage capacity. Internal drives use file systems like EXT4 and BTRFS, while external systems can utilize EXT3, NTFS, and others.

A key feature of the F8 SSD series is the 10GbE LAN port, allowing for fast data transfers, which is essential for applications requiring quick access to large files. Both models offer three USB ports and at just 177x60x140 mm they are well-suited for environments where space is limited.

The TerraMaster F8 SSD NAS is designed for users who require a compact, high-performance storage solution, making it an ideal choice for home offices, small businesses, and content creators.

Both F8 SSD models are now available for purchase globally, through the TerraMaster site and Amazon, and we’ll have a comprehensive review of the F8 SSD Plus soon.

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Take a close look at the press releases for the brand new Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus, or Samsung Galaxy S10 Ultra, and you'll notice a footnote pointing to a future where some Galaxy AI features require a payment.

As spotted by SamMobile, the exact text reads: "Fees may apply to certain AI features at the end of 2025." That's not particularly specific or definitive, but it does suggest that the Galaxy AI experience isn't going to be completely free beyond the end of next year.

This isn't new: the same disclaimer was included in the information we got alongside the Samsung Galaxy S24 series at the start of this year. This isn't a surprise then, but it shows Samsung hasn't changed its plans for charging for AI.

We don't yet know which features might come with a price tag attached, or what that price tag might be – Samsung hasn't said anything about that yet, but has gone on the record to say more Galaxy AI features are on the way.

The cost of AI

ChatGPT has a paid-for tier (Image credit: OpenAI)

It's not a huge shock that Samsung wants to start making some money from all the AI tools it's stuffed into its devices: generative artificial intelligence requires a huge amount of computing power, and a huge amount of energy to run.

Both Google and OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, offer users more advanced features and more powerful AI models for $20 (about £15 / AU$29) a month – although there are rumors that the price of ChatGPT Plus could more than double in the next five years.

Then there's Apple: Apple Intelligence is rolling out over the next few months, free of charge, but there has been talk that more advanced features are eventually going to have a price attached, perhaps as part of an Apple One bundle.

For now, you can still use the AI features – covering image editing, live translation, note summaries, and plenty more – free of charge. If you start to reply on them regularly though, bear in mind that there might eventually be a cost attached.

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There are some major updates to Google Maps, Street View, and Google Earth to know about – and the new and upgraded features should prove helpful in all kinds of ways for users of Google's mapping tools.

The updates are outlined in a blog post by Google, and first up we've got the addition of historical imagery on Google Earth, going back as far as 80 years in some places. Some of this imagery has previously been available in the paid-for, Pro version of the software, but it's now going to be accessible for all users across the web and mobile.

"Maybe you want to travel back in time and see what your neighborhood looked like decades ago," explains Stafford Marquardt, a senior product manager at Google Maps. "Or you want to understand how forests have been affected by human activity and the changing climate."

Certain cities, including London, Berlin, Warsaw, and Paris, now offer satellite imagery stretching back to the 1930s – making it possible to get a detailed look at how these places have evolved and adapted over the decades.

More Street View imagery

A new Street View image from Tasman, New Zealand (Image credit: Google)

In Google Maps, there's going to be expanded Street View imagery across 80 countries – with some of those countries getting Street View pictures for the first time. What's more, Google says even more places will be getting Street View in the future.

The example photos included in Google's blog post cover Iceland, New Zealand, Brazil, Mexico, Tasmania, Japan, Denmark, and France. According to Google, it's one of the most significant updates to Street View in its history (it launched back in 2007), and the total number of images now exceeds 280 billion.

And finally in this round of updates, Google says it's "sharpening" satellite imagery across Google Earth and Google Maps. With a little help from AI, new cloud removal tools have been applied to reveal more of the globe than ever before, giving you "a refreshed global mosaic that gives you a clearer, more accurate look at Earth".

If you're not already seeing the updates to Google Earth and Google Maps on your device, they should show up soon. We saw another update earlier this week, when Google Maps improved its lane navigation interface on Android Auto.

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5G networks have rapidly expanded worldwide, delivering faster speeds and reduced latency, however, due to the use of higher frequency bands, more base stations are required compared to 4G.

This need for increased infrastructure presents challenges, particularly in densely populated areas where site availability and installation costs are higher - such as Tokyo, the world’s most densely populated city, illustrates these challenges perfectly.

In 2018, NTT DOCOMO partnered with Japanese glassmaker AGC to address this issue by developing the world’s first glass antenna. Using AGC’s ATTOCH technology, the antenna can be installed inside existing windows, allowing buildings to seamlessly integrate into the mobile network without obstructing views or altering their appearance. It's been improved over the years and is now fully 5G compatible.

WAVEANTENNA

The antenna is constructed using transparent conductive materials sandwiched between layers of glass, which enhances its durability while maintaining the transparent look of standard windows. The technology also features a Glass Interface Layer (GIL) that reduces signal attenuation and reflection, two common issues when signals pass through glass.

The WAVEANTENNA, as it’s known, supports 5G Sub6 frequencies, which are more effective at penetrating walls and barriers compared to millimeter waves. This makes it ideal for dense urban environments where 5G networks struggle with interference and signal loss.

Akinobu Ueda, from the Radio Access Network Engineering Department at Japanese comms giant NTT DOCOMO, explains: “It is difficult to get permission from building owners to install small cell base stations in the mid to lower floors of a building, as the base stations can spoil the scenery of an area. The same holds true for indoor installations. In addition to spoiling the interior design of a building, it’s difficult to create the ideal service area as attenuation occurs when signals pass through the building.”

Last month, JTower, a Tokyo-based company, installed the first WAVEANTENNA in the city's Shinjuku district, marking an important milestone for the technology. The antennas have also been adapted for use in vehicles, helping to reduce dropped signals.

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Microsoft has provided an update on Windows 11’s Recall feature – which has been on ice for some time now, since its revelation caused a massive stir due to security and privacy worries – and when it plans to forge ahead with the feature and bring it to Copilot+ PCs.

As the BBC reports, Microsoft said in a statement that the plan is to launch Recall on CoPilot+ laptops in November, with a bunch of measures being implemented to ensure the feature is secure enough detailed in a separate blog post.

So, what are these measures designed to placate the critics of Recall – a capability which is a supercharged AI-powered search in Windows 11 that leverages regular screenshots (‘snapshots’ as Microsoft calls them) of the activity on your PC – as it was originally envisioned?

One of the key changes is that Recall will be strictly opt-in, as Microsoft had told us before, as opposed to the default-on approach that was taken when the feature was first unveiled.

Microsoft notes: “During the set-up experience for Copilot+ PCs, users are given a clear option whether to opt-in to saving snapshots using Recall. If a user doesn’t proactively choose to turn it on, it will be off, and snapshots will not be taken or saved.”

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Also, as Microsoft previously told us, snapshots – and other Recall-related data – will be fully encrypted, and Windows Hello authentication will be a requirement to use the feature. In other words, you’ll need to sign in via Hello to ensure that it’s you actually using Recall (and not someone else on your PC).

Furthermore, Recall will use a secure environment called a Virtualization-based Security Enclave, or VBS Enclave, which is a fully secure virtual machine isolated from the Windows 11 system, that only the user can access with a decryption key (provided with that Windows Hello sign-in).

David Weston, who wrote Microsoft’s blog post and is VP of Enterprise and OS Security, explained to Windows Central: “All of the sensitive Recall processes, so screenshots, screenshot processing, vector database, are now in a VBS Enclave. We basically took Recall and put it in a virtual machine [VM], so even administrative users are not able to interact in that VM or run any code or see any data.”

For that matter, Microsoft can’t get in to look at your Recall data, either. And as the software giant has made clear before, all this data is kept locally on your machine – none of it is sent to the cloud (that could be a big security worry if it was). This is why Recall is a Copilot+ PC exclusive, by the way – because it needs a powerful NPU for acceleration and local processing for Recall to work responsively enough (as the cloud can’t be leveraged to speed up the AI grunt work).

Finally, Microsoft combats a previous concern about Recall taking screenshots of, for example, your online banking site and perhaps sensitive financial info – the feature now filters out things like passwords, credit card numbers and so on.

Other privacy tightening measures include the ability to exclude specific apps or websites from ever having snapshots taken by Recall (and we should note that private browsing sessions, such as Chrome’s Incognito mode, are never subject to being screenshotted – at least in supported web browsers).

An icon will appear in the taskbar when a Recall snapshot is being saved, incidentally, and it’ll be easy to pause these screenshots from there if you wish to do so.

(Image credit: Microsoft) Analysis: Recalled from the bench - but with a lot to prove

Microsoft has basically taken Recall back to the drawing board on the security and privacy fronts over the past few months, and in broad terms, the results deserve a thumbs-up. (Although let’s be honest, elements like the tight encryption should have been in place to begin with – and it’s a bit frightening that they weren’t).

If you’re still concerned about Recall despite these measures, you simply don’t have to enable it. And with it being off by default in a clear manner now, there’s no danger of less tech-savvy folks ending up using the feature by accident, without realizing what it is.

The path Recall is on now is that it’s returning to testing in October, so very soon, and with the release coming to Copilot+ PCs in November, it’s on something of a fast track to arrive with the computing public – well, those who’ve invested in a Copilot+ laptop anyway. We’re sure that for those folks, Recall will still be marked as in ‘preview’ and it’s debatable whether you should be taking the plunge with an ability like this when it’s not quite fully finished.

Of course, we’re getting a bit ahead of ourselves here – the next step is for Recall to arrive in Windows 11 test builds, and see what Windows Insiders make of it. If problems crop up in those preview builds, we may yet see Recall delayed for release to Copilot+ PCs.

Microsoft is talking a much bigger security game for Recall here, without a doubt, and let’s hope there are no setbacks or mistakes in terms of actually implementing all of this. Given how the initial incarnation of Recall was put together – with a worrying lack of attention to detail – it’s easy to be cynical here, but presumably Microsoft is not going to fall into this trap again.

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Full spoilers for Never Let Go follow.

Never Let Go is the latest movie by hit production company Lionsgate, which is a studio known for the huge horror franchise Saw, as well as popular action franchises The Hunger Games and John Wick (which recently got a trailer for Ballerina). Although this creepy survival horror hit, which gave similar vibes to A Quiet Place, had potential, it really ran out of steam in the third act.

It is annoying that this appears to be a common occurrence with new movies. While I'm not entirely opposed to mystery and questions, sometimes it feels like the script was missing something and the result might leave audiences disappointed, and hungry for something they'll never get to have. That was definitely the case with Never Let Go, which teased this great, evil threat and then fizzled out at the very end.

Movies shouldn't have to over-explain what's going on, but it's nice when they give us something to work with. For me, Never Let Go was ambiguous to the point of being frustrating, leaving me with more questions than I had going in, which is never a good sign.

The evil, which is just named 'The Evil', is this apparent great threat that has taken over the world and leaving Momma (even she doesn't have a name) and her two boys as the only survivors. By the end, we find out this is a lie, and it literally does not elaborate beyond that. The boys go off into this civilization they've been sheltered from their whole lives, and that's it. We don't find out what it is, if it was all in their mother's head or if it's some demonic figure isolated to their remote cabin.

The boys could not see The Evil, but it still doesn't answer why it was so central to their lives for all these years. A lot of it didn't add up and despite the good performances and the creepy atmosphere, the story was lacking compared to the best horror movies.

Should we completely do away with ambiguous endings?

Inception's final scene is an example of an open ending done right. (Image credit: Warner Bros)

No, not entirely, but they do seem to be happening in abundance and the result is not always good. But as we've seen throughout film history, it can be done very well. Take a look at Inception – one of the best Christopher Nolan movies – and its now iconic totem ending. We never get to find out if Cobb was in the real world or not, but given the richness of the hours that preceded that final shot, the ending is memorable. Frustrating, sure, but it's great.

Never Let Go wasn't able to reach those heights as we barely knew anything about the threat to begin with. There was little to keep the audience engaged, if anything I found myself braced for another jump scare where Momma would see another manifestation of The Evil but that was more to do with loud audio cues than me being scared of the antagonist. I don't really care if I know nothing about what's jumping out to scare me in the first place. Lore building is important.

Endings are tricky, but many big-budget movies are really struggling to stick the landing. A prime example of that is Lionsgate's abysmal Borderlands, which insulted video game fans everywhere and then fizzled out into an unsatisfying conclusion. Not ambiguous, just boring. Can you tell I absolutely loved it? In all seriousness, if you want to read my takedown of Borderlands, here's why I called it the death of good video game adaptations.

It's not all bleak though, 2024 has seen plenty of great movies, and A24 in particular is leading the charge with recent movies like I Saw the TV Glow and MaXXXine, which was one of five A24 movies I couldn't wait to watch in 2024 – both of which nailed that all-important finale. I just wish the bigger names would follow suit.

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Lenovo has unveiled the latest addition in its Yoga lineup, the Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 (14”, 9th Gen) with an AI-driven AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 processor.

The new device supports the Lenovo Creator Zone, a new AI-powered software suite that allows users to generate and edit images through various methods including Text-to-Image, where users input descriptions to create images, Sketch-to-Image, which combines sketches with text for visual representation, and Image-to-Image which enable variations of existing images based on reference images and descriptions.

It also supports advanced AI features such as Lenovo X Power Software Accelerate for faster previews and exports and X Power Hardware Boost for sustained performance.

A slim yet weighty device

The Yoga Pro 7 is powered by a 73Whr battery, which Lenovo claims is enough power to get through a full day of work or school on a single charge, but despite its powerful hardware, the Yoga Pro 7 maintains a slim profile. The Yoga Pro 7 measures 25.5 x 226.49 x 15.6mm and weighs 1.54 kg. While it is not entirely a lightweight device, it is only 15.6mm at its thinnest point.

The Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 is equipped with the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 processor with 10 cores and 20 threads, designed to deliver high-performance and efficient AI processing. This processor can achieve up to 50 TOPS (Tera Operations Per Second) through its dedicated AI engine.

One of the standout features of the Yoga Pro 7 is its 14.5-inch 2.8K PureSight Pro OLED Display. It comes with a resolution of 2880 x 1800 pixels, supports a 120Hz refresh rate and a 16:10 aspect ratio. Lenovo’s PureSight Pro technology ensures color accuracy with Delta E<1, meaning that the colors displayed are as close to real life as possible. This is complemented by 100% Adobe RGB, 100% sRGB, and 100% P3 color gamut coverage.

This device also supports the Yoga Premium Suite which features a Soft Touch-coated keyboard with 1.5mm key travel, 0.3mm deep dish keys, a dual speaker system, four microphones with voice ID noise cancellation, and an FHD IR camera for clear video calls.

In addition to the AMD Ryzen chip, this device is equipped with 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM, clocked at 6400 MHz, and a 1TB PCIe Gen 4 M.2 SSD. The PCIe Gen 4 interface ensures faster data transfer speeds, making it easy to move large files or run heavy applications.

The graphic performance of the Yoga Pro 7 uses an AMD RDNA 3 880M integrated graphics which is a decent chip for video editing, 3D modeling, or game development.

For connectivity, this device features Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, ensuring fast and reliable wireless connections. It also comes with a variety of ports for connecting external devices. On the left side, there are two USB Type-C full-function ports (one supporting USB 4.0 Gen 1, PD 3.0, and DP 1.4), as well as an HDMI 2.1 port that supports up to 4K at 60Hz. On the right side, there’s a USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 (Always-On) port, along with an audio combo jack for headphones or speakers.

The Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 (14”, 9) is expected to be available in EMEA starting September 2024 with a price of €1,699.

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Wi-Fi HaLow is a low-power, long-range variant of Wi-Fi, based on the IEEE 802.11ah standard. It operates in the sub-GHz range (850-950 MHz), enabling it to penetrate obstacles such as walls and buildings and connect a larger number of IoT devices over much greater distances.

In February, Morse Micro showcased Wi-Fi HaLow’s capabilities by achieving a 3-kilometer (1.8 miles) video call, setting a record for long-range connectivity using the 802.11ah standard. In its latest range test, Morse Micro conducted trials at Joshua Tree National Park, a rural area known for its expansive open spaces and minimal RF interference. This test successfully achieved an impressive range of 16 kilometers (10 miles), five times the previous distance.

For the experiment, Morse Micro used its MM6108-EKH01 evaluation kit, which features a Raspberry Pi 4 and an MM6108-MF08651 Wi-Fi HaLow reference module. The kit outputs 21 dBm of power through a 1 dBi antenna, resulting in 22 dBm of total radiated power. The goal was to assess Wi-Fi HaLow’s real-world performance with standard equipment.

15.9 kilometers

Morse Micro calculated the theoretical maximum range of the system based on the IEEE 802.11ah standard, considering factors like signal strength, antenna gain, and free-space path loss. The estimated range was 15.9 kilometers. During field tests at Joshua Tree, the team achieved a 2 Mbps UDP throughput at the maximum range, demonstrating that Wi-Fi HaLow can maintain long-distance connectivity while delivering meaningful data rates.

HaLow isn’t just about distance, however. The technology’s power-saving capabilities can extend battery life significantly. This could be a game-changer, especially for devices running on coin batteries, allowing them to function for months without a battery change.

Writing about the latest milestone, Morse Micro’s team said, “Our testing in Joshua Tree National Park demonstrates that Morse Micro’s Wi-Fi HaLow isn’t just about impressive numbers - it’s about delivering real value in environments where you need it most. This test proves that we can reach the maximum theoretical Wi-Fi HaLow range while still providing significant and usable throughput. Whether you’re working in remote, rural areas or deploying IoT solutions across vast landscapes, Wi-Fi HaLow can perform consistently and reliably.”

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Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now nearly 1,000 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #979) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #979) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #979) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #979) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #979) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• S

• B

• W

• S

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #979) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #979, are…

• SERIF
• BORNE
• WRITE
• SLEEK

A couple of today's words might cause some problems; SERIF is a relatively uncommon word that has a very uncommon format, with that IF ending, while SLEEK contains a repeated E. WRITE was the one I lost a guess on, though: that -RI-E format is a very common one, and could be the likes of TRIBE or TRITE as well as the eventual answer. Other than that, though, my three start words did the hard work and I survived with a guess to spare.

Unfortunately I was far less careful with the Daily Sequence and failed for the second time in only a few days. There were some very difficult words there, admittedly, but I still should have played a lot more sensibly.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Daily Sequence today (game #979) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #979, are…

• EAGER
• TILDE
• ABYSS
• DELAY

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #978, Saturday 28 September: BUSHY, CIVIC, SNOUT, EQUIP
• Quordle #977, Friday 27 September: GUEST, CHASM, ROOST, BASAL
• Quordle #976, Thursday 26 September: STAGE, VOGUE, CLUMP, HEATH
• Quordle #975, Wednesday 25 September: UMBRA, DADDY, GLAZE, PRANK
• Quordle #974, Tuesday 24 September: SPACE, INNER, SPAWN, BEGAT
• Quordle #973, Monday 23 September: GUILT, STERN, ANNEX, FIELD
• Quordle #972, Sunday 22 September: ZESTY, MEATY, ALIVE, DRAWN
• Quordle #971, Saturday 21 September: VITAL, FRAIL, SPEAR, EERIE
• Quordle #970, Friday 20 September: ELIDE, DITTO, SHAWL, BONUS
• Quordle #969, Thursday 19 September: MARRY, OWING, DICEY, LUCKY
• Quordle #968, Wednesday 18 September: CEDAR, VENOM, MIGHT, MEDIC
• Quordle #967, Tuesday 17 September: ETHOS, COUNT, PRINT, THREE
• Quordle #966, Monday 16 September: ROUGE, SWAMP, FUGUE, UNDUE
• Quordle #965, Sunday 15 September: VILLA, SMOKE, BULKY, THRUM
• Quordle #964, Saturday 14 September: ESSAY, GENRE, WIMPY, CHUTE
• Quordle #963, Friday 13 September: LEANT, ORGAN, FILLY, PLAIT
• Quordle #962, Thursday 12 September: ARBOR, STARK, LEAVE, GOOFY
• Quordle #961, Wednesday 11 September: ROUGH, CACTI, SAVOY, ODDER
• Quordle #960, Tuesday 10 September: PLUMB, SEIZE, EARLY, ASSET
• Quordle #959, Monday 9 September: CHIRP, BEADY, THETA, MINUS

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need clues.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Wordle hints and answers, Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #476) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• PLAY
• JUSTICE
• THROW
• ENERGY
• HONOR
• PASS
• КЕЕР
• SHAM
• DISCARD
• SHEET
• STATE
• FULFILL
• BLANKET
• LABOR
• UPHOLD
• DRAW

NYT Connections today (game #476) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• Yellow: Do as you say
• Green: Covers
• Blue: Snap?
• Purple: They run the country

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #476) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: MAKE GOOD ON, AS A PROMISE
• GREEN: BEDDING
• BLUE: ACTIONS IN CARD GAMES
• PURPLE: CABINET DEPARTMENTS

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #476) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #476, are…

• YELLOW: MAKE GOOD ON, AS A PROMISE FULFILL, HONOR, KEEP, UPHOLD
• GREEN: BEDDING BLANKET, SHAM, SHEET, THROW
• BLUE: ACTIONS IN CARD GAMES DISCARD, DRAW, PASS, PLAY
• PURPLE: CABINET DEPARTMENTS ENERGY, JUSTICE, LABOR, STATE

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 2 mistakes

Oh NYT, you devious things. I lost two guesses today on the blue group, ACTIONS IN CARD GAMES, because of some classic misdirection. The eventual answers were DISCARD, DRAW, PASS and PLAY, but I instead had KEEP in there as one of the solutions, which does make sense but which obviously wasn't right.

With two guesses down I was a little worried, so moved on to other categories and instead got the yellow MAKE GOOD ON, AS A PROMISE group, which was pretty straightforward once I focused. I then got the supposedly most difficult one, the purple group, after realizing that ENERGY, JUSTICE, LABOR and STATE were all CABINET DEPARTMENTS. That made blue easier, and I solved green by default.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, 28 September, game #475)

• YELLOW: COMPOSITE BLEND, COMPOUND, CROSS, HYBRID
• GREEN: EMBED LODGE, PLANT, STICK, WEDGE
• BLUE: ITEMS IN A MONOPOLY BOX DEED, HOTEL, HOUSE, TOKEN
• PURPLE: ___ CONTROL BIRTH, CRUISE, QUALITY, REMOTE

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #210) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Weed 'em and reap

NYT Strands today (game #210) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• STAVE
• STARE
• PLATE
• SHIRE
• RASH
• QUASH

NYT Strands today (game #210) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• October feast

NYT Strands today (game #210) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First: top, 3rd column

Last: right, 7th row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #210) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #210, are…

• SQUASH
• PUMPKIN
• ONION
• APPLE
• RADISH
• KOHLRABI
• SPANGRAM: FALLHARVEST

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Today I learned for the first time of KOHLRABI, a vegetable whose name apparently translates literally as 'cabbage turnip' and which tastes a little like a broccoli stem. Fortunately the other answers today were a lot easier to find, although I did struggle a little with the spangram, FALLHARVEST, because here in the UK we say 'autumn' not 'fall'. But no matter – I was able to uncover enough answers that eventually the spangram revealed itself to me, and though it still took me a while to work out that the final word was indeed the aforementioned KOHLRABI, I got there without needing hints.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday 28 September, game #209)

• HAPPINESS
• LOVE
• GRATITUDE
• PLEASURE
• EXCITEMENT
• SPANGRAM: EMOTIONS

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.